Container Gardening

Start of by selecting a planting area that gets good sunlight in the morning but by mid day is in semi-shade. Roses prefer to avoid the hot afternoon sun. If the area is in the full sun make sure it has good air circulation.

Prepare the planting hole in advance and make it much larger than the pot the rose bush is in. Mix in a generous 40-50% planter mix or composted material, some garden soil,  bone meal or super phosphate and about 15% sand should also be mixed in.

Plant the rose as soon as the soil is workable. If the plant is grafted on the root stock, be sure the graft is placed 2-3 inches below the surface. If you are planting roses on their own roots be sure the root area is well covered.

Wait for about two weeks and then apply fertilizer. I suggest about 2/3 cup of 12-16-12, be applied and raked into the top 2 inches of the soil. Other forms of plant food such as 15-30-15 is also very effective. The pH level of the soil should be about 6.2 to 6.5. Levels within this range will normally produce excellent rose blossoms around the middle of June. An inexpensive pH probe tester can be very useful in determining when to add more plant food. The right amount of plant food is what should be applied. More is not better.

Good luck in getting many blossoms.

Lori

Tags: Roses

You have spent the long winter months planning your gardening projects and dreaming over seed catalogs. And now it’s time to work the soil. Studies show that mowing the lawn and planting trees takes the same amount of energy as a round of golf.

It is important, therefore, to begin with light and easy activities because, as with other activity, overly enthusiastic gardening will make you susceptible to injury.
Another tip that will prevent gardening injuries is to make sure to use tools that work for you.

Everybody is different and making sure the tool is the right type for the gardening
activity and length for your body will reduce strain.

If you have heavy tasks to accomplish intersperse them with lighter activities. When performing tasks that require bending or kneeling make sure to vary your position for comfort and give your knees a break by kneeling on a soft pad.

Raised beds are a great way to reduce the amount of bending, but make sure the centre of the bed can be easily reached
without stretching.

I like my raised beds. The soil warms faster and they make weeding easier. If you make a ledge around your raised beds you can sit while you are weeding or harvesting.A definite plus!

Lori

Snow drops are out on the West coast but the rest of the country is still covered in snow. Soon it will warm up for the rest of us though and we can get out our pruning shears.

Fruit trees first and then tackle the grape vines. Most people do not reduce the size of the vines sufficiently so make sure you prune a lot. All grapes produce fruit on the new growth and that is the main reason for the heavy pruning.

While we’re on the subject of grapes, the grape plant does not like to dry out and needs fairly even watering. Ground mulching around the base of the plants helps conserve moisture and will help to prevent the drying out of the plant. A good feeding of 10-52-10 plant food is also a good idea. The high phosphate strengthens the plant to produce flower buds.

Lori

Tags: Grapes, Pruning, pruning grape vines

Hi All;

I noticed the first snowdrops in my lawn yesterday. Days are getting longer and it is a nice day in Vancouver. I will post a picture shortly.

Antje

Tags: Snowdrops

Your amaryllis bulb will grow for many years just like your tulip bulbs. The plant just needs time to store energy in the bulb for next season. For the bulb to gather this energy take the following steps:

1. When the flowers fade, cut the flower stalk back to just above the bulb.

2. Keep watering and fertilizing until the plant goes dormant

3. You can place the plant outdoors for the summer in partial shade making sure to keep the soil moist but not wet.

4. Stop feeding in August.

When it is time to bring the plant indoors move your Amaryllis to a cool (10-15 celsius) and stop watering. Remove the dry foliage. The lack of foliage and water will induce the amaryllis to send out another flower stalk. Resume watering and move the plant to a warm and sunny spot.

After a year or two the bulb will get bigger and you will have to repot it into a bigger pot. The best part is the flowers will also get bigger.

Lori

Tags: Bulbs

The poinsettias are on display for the Christmas season but it is the Amaryllis that I am waiting for — the true Christmas flower.

Poinsettias are used for a short time at Christmas and discarded shortly thereafter. They can be grown indoors and bloom again but I’ve never been that lucky.

Now, Amaryllis, by favourite Christmas flower, are in stores now as bulbs. When buying make sure that at least half of the bulb is above the soil. Do not try to bury the bulb. Place the potted bulb in a warm place with direct light. The heat is necessary for the development of the stems. Water sparingly until the bud and leaves appear.

It takes about 40 days from potting the bulb till the plant blooms appear.

I have been very lucky with Amaryllis. I have one bulb already for many years and it blooms every year with more and more flowers.

In my next article I will reveal my tips and tricks on how to keep the amaryllis bulbs blooming year after year.

Lori

Tags: amaryllis, Bulbs

The gardening season has ended in my yard. It was frosty this morning and now it is time to clean up and put the bulbs and dahlias away till next spring.

Begonias will also keep for next spring if stored properly. Some gardeners throw away their begonia bulbs and buy new ones each year but you don’t have to.

Just before the frost arrives move the begonias in an area away from frost. Discontinue watering and let the leaves dry down. Cut the stems off about an inch above the bulb and find a cool, dry spot. It is important not to allow them to freeze and storing just above freezing is ideal.

Spring 2009, about mid-March, bring them out to warm air and start watering them. You will be surprised at how quickly they put out new growth. The begonias will be ready to bloom by June.

Begonias, in the growing season, should be fed with a low nitrogen plant food. A 15-30-15 water soluble will give you good growth and plenty of begonia blossoms.

Lori

Tags: Bulbs

Many bulbs can be forced to bloom indoors. Daffodil bulb varieties such as Dutch Master (yellow) and Salome (white) and among tulip bulb varieties, Triumphs and some Darwin hybrids are the easiest to force. Only purchase Hyacinth bulbs that have been specifically prepared for forcing into early blooming.

The bulbs should be planted from mid October to early November and will need a minimum of 12 weeks of cold treatment. Once the bulbs are planted, the containers should be placed in an unheated place about 4 - 8 Celsius. The refrigerator is a good place if you have room.

Water only when the surface of the soil begins to dry out. The soil should not completely dry out, as the roots will be damaged. If bulbs are over-watered they will rot. Check the containers weekly and use containers with good drainage.

When the bulbs have top shoots, about an inch high, take the bulbs out from the cold storage and place them in a spot out of direct sunlight.  Let them slowly adjust to the warmer temperature and fertilize each time you water. It will take about another 3 to 4 weeks before they bloom.

Lori

Tags: Bulbs

Now is the time to plan how many bulbs you want to plant in your garden and when you would like the bulbs to reveal themselves.  September 15th to the 30th is the ideal time to plant most bulbs for blossom in 2009.

Remember, some bulbs bloom early while others take longer. Even within a species, such as tulips, there are early blooming bulbs and late blooming bulbs so be sure to check.  Hyacinths, crocus and the old reliable King Alfred daffodils can all be nice spring blossoms.

Lori

Tags: Bulbs

My mom took a picture of a larva the other day climbing the wall in her house. What is remarkable is that the markings on the larva make it appear as if it has a happy smile. Honestly, no photoshop involved. Pretty cool!

We are both wondering what type of larva this is? We are fairly certain it is a caterpillar but are wondering what type of butterfly it will be. Does any one know? Please share your thoughts.

Antje

Tags: larva